Rotary engine.



' J. s.'AL-00RN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 15, 1907.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909. 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Inventor.

Witnesses.

fue Nomus PETERS co., wAsHmcraN, n; c.

J. S. ALORN. ROTARY ENG-INE.

APPLIUATIQN FILED 00T. 15, 1907.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.` I

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor.

Witnesses.

ms woRms PETERS co. wAsHlNcroN. D. c.

J: S. ALCUNI.

ROTARY ENGINE.` APPLIOATION HLBD'ooT-15. 1907.

91 4,627. Patented Mr. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses. y Inventor.

mkm' w J. S. ALGORN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED 00T. 15, 1907.

914, 627, Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Witnesses.

JOHN

STUART ALOORN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG'NOR TO OOOLEY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented Marchi), 1909.

Application filed October 15, 1907. Serial No. 397,542.

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that l, dor-1N STUART ALcoRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 33 Braintree street, Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of lilassachusetts, United States of America, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Rotary Fluid Engines or Machines, of which the following is a specification.

These improvements in or relating to rotary fluid engines or machines for propelling or being propelled by fluids .vhether of a liquid or gaseous nature have special reference to the type of engine or machine with a rotary piston and a rotary spacer having rocking shoes or abutments which bear on the peripheral curved surface of the piston, the pi..- ton and the spacer being on diiTerent axes of rotation and rotating in the same direction at relatively constant but different rates of speed within an outer inelosing cylinder wherein the spacer rotates, the spacer moreover being provided with ports.

Now the present improvements consist in making the spacer' with entirely cylindrical outer circumference and the casing or housing non-cylindrical; in the arrangement of the packings between the piston and the spacer and between the latter and the outer inclosing cylinder wherein it rotates; in means for enabling the engine to start from any position of the rotating parts, thus doing away with so-called dead points; and in means for reversing the direction of rotation, if so required. By these improvements the engine is much improved in general construction and in the economical use of steam.

The following is a description of a reversible rotary machine, motor or engine constructed according to this invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 2 a sectional side elevation of the engine, and Fig. 3 is a sectional-elevation of a non-reversible engine. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sectional elevations illustrating the action of the engine when actuated by steam.

The piston 1 is in one with or keyed to the shaft 2, which latter is provided with a tooth gearing 3 at each end of the piston, these gearings engaging with internal tooth gearing 4 in the boss of the end disk or head 40 of the spacer 5 as heretofore 3 and 4 are in Fig. 1 represented by dotted lines. Between the circumferential surface of the piston 1 and the inner circumferential surface of the spacer are arranged the rocking shoes 6 which as heretofore are jointed to stems or splines 7 that enter recesses formed in the spacer and provided with springs 3 let into recesses formed in the said splines for the purpose of keeping the shoes in contact with the piston. The spacer is formed entirely cylindrical outside and has three equidistant ports E), 10, and 11, and the abutments or packing pieces 12, 13 and 15, formerly called spacer projections, instead of being recessed in the circumference of the spacer are now arranged in recesses formed in the inclosing housing or casing 16 and one 14 is placed in a bottom plate 27 presently to be described,

The packing pieces 12, 13, 14 and 15 which hereinafter are called the parallels are held in position by suitable adjustable and elastic devices by preference consisting of studs 23 screwed into the parallels and pinned thereto, each with coil spring 32 placed on the stud and abutting on the back of the parallel, being compressed by a spring box 53 screwed into the casing 16. ln order to release the friction of the parallelI against the spacer due to the compression of the spring 32, a nut 54 is screwed down on the stud 23 onto the top of the spring boX 53, the intervening surfaces (on the bottom of the nut and the top of the spring box) being formed with shallow rounded serrations or teeth in such proportion to the pitch of the screw thread on the stud 23 that the coiled spring 32 may be further compressed to a known extent, say iOOOth of an inch, thus relieving the contact between the parallel and the spacer from pressure causing friction, the serrated surfaces also locking each other and maintaining the parallel in the position due to the adjustment of the nut 54. The cover 55 is screwed onto that portion of the spring box 53 projecting above the casing ing a vapor tight joint therewith. As many of these attachments 23, 32, 53, 54, 55 are fitted to each parallel 12, 13, 14 and 15 as are required according to the length of the parallels. An extension piece 57 is fastened to each end of each parallel'by a screw in such manner as to permit free radial movement of the parallel quite independently of the extension pieces 57. The parallels are arranged to allow the admission, cut-off eX- 16, maky' steam from the pressure side of the engine to" the exhaust side. ln the case ofa non-reversible machine there would be some difference from the arrangement shown of placing thesel parallels 1n the casing according to the de-y gree of expansion of the actuating fluid desired; the tendency of the spacer projections as heretofore arranged was to be thrown outward by the centrifugal force, thus causing undue friction andalso wear on the inside of the casing; by the present arrangement of the parallels this tendency is done away with. The casing 16 is not cylindrical inside in that portion which directly incloses the exhaust spaces 26. It is provided in suitable places with two fluid inlet passages 17 and 18 and two exhaust passages 26 and 51. The inlet passages 17 and 18 to which steam is admitted by means of a proper valve (not shown) admit the steam tothe piston through the ports 9, 10 or 11 ofthe spacer, thus giving the piston and the spacer rotary motion. From the passages 17 and 18 (in this case shown at the top) two passages er pipes 19 and 20lead to the two ends of a valve chest 22 containing a slide valve 21 which as steam is admitted te one end or the other of the valve chest 22 is shot in onej When steam is ad direction or the other. mitted through the passage or pipe 19 it is also open to the valve chest 22 through the small passage 25 in the slide valve 21, Fig. 1

to the space 26 until the slide valve 21 is ren versed when the corresponding passage52 and space 51 connected with thepassage .20 come into play. Instead of the smallpas sages 25 for constant admission of aminute quantity of steam,the passages19 and 2G may each be fitted with a needle valve for admitting steam from either 19 or 2O to *the` spaces26 or 51. The admission of steam through the passages 25 is for the purpose of starting the engine in case of its stopping in the position shown in Fig. 1. vWhen steam is admitted to the inlet passage 17, the slide valve 21 is in the position shownin Fig. 1, the exhaust passage 24 being closed and they exhaust passage 23 open. lWhen steamis admittedto the inlet passage 18 the steam` supply is cut off from the inlet passage 17; the passage or pipe 20 permits the flow of steam to the valve chest 22 at the right in Fig. 1, thereby shooting the slide valve from right to left whereupon the reverse action takes place. might be made reversible by .any suitable device fitted thereto and operated by hand. The slide valve 21 is confined in the valve chest by the bottom plate 27 which has an` abutment or parallel lilrecessed therein as stated above.

The shaft 2 works in double or singleroller ring bearings in the covers 84, 35 of the cas- Or the slide valvel tains the rollers 68 in their proper place.

The ring L15also separates the shaft bearing rollers 68 from the similar rollers 43 upon which the spacer revolves. Therollers, liner rings and other bearing surface parts areby preference made of steel, hardened. rlhe casing cover 85 may close in the'end of the shaft as shown, the casing cover 311 at the other end having a stuffing box and gland .36 through which the shaft 2 passes out. Or both ends may be so arranged. Ball bearings 87 may be provided at the ends of the steel rings 59 for taking up any. end thrust in the engineitself.

-rllhespacer is a chamber wherein the piston works and consists of a circumferential ring 5, against the cylindrical outside surface of which the aforesaid parallels 12, 18, 14, 15 abut, and two end disks or heads 40, 40 secured to the spacer ring 5 by screws. Each spacer head 10 is formed with three shallow recesses or. channels triangularly disposed, see Figs. 1 and 8,' three thin packing strips Ll1-of steel, phosphor bronze or other suitable material are placed in the three channels. The strips are at each end boundedby the heads of the screws 56 screwed into the spacer head 10 their heads being flush with the surface of thedisk and must be placed in the-position shown relativelyto the shoes 6. Small passages ll2 may be provided for admitting a small quantity of steam to the inner side of these strips so as to press them out from the head l() of the spacer, with or without springs underneath to keep the strips 41 up to the end face of thepiston 1. Antifriction bearing devices such for in.- stance as the rollers 18, are provided for the spacer head to work in between the steel ring 47 on the boss ef the spacer head 40 and the inner surface of a ring L19,0f steel, in the circumferential part of the inclosingcasing 16, therollers revolving between the packing ring plate 38, and the disk 45 which latteris 'fixed inthe end cover 341. Between the ring plate 38 and the spacer head 10 are provided two or more thin rings 141. Each of these thinrings 44 is by preference provided with a small hole (not shown) for allowing the lubricated steam to pass through it, anda small channel is cut cccentrically tothe circumference in the end face of each ring `efor the purpose of effectually distributing the lubricated steam; the rings 44 are allowedto revolve freely against each other and against the end of the revolving spacer head L10 and .against thel aforesaid ring plate 88. Springs 39 placed in recesses in the ring plate 38 serve to exert elastic pressure upon the rings 44. By the provision of the parallels 12 to 15 the thin triangularly arranged strips 41, the thin rings 44 and other arrangements described, leakage is practically prevented and a great economy of steam permanently effected heretofore generally only experienced in rotary engines when the working parts are new or unworn. rlhe reversing can be easily effected many times in one minute as practice has proved.

lf the engine or machine is not intended to be reversible the duplication of the inlet and outlet ports, and the slide valve with its means for reversing will obviously not he needed. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of such a non-reversible engine. Gne small passage such as the pipe 20 with a shut-ofi yalve or cock 61 is then provided for admitting a small quantity of steam to the space 26 between the spacer 5 and the casing 16, for enabling the engine to be started in any position of' the rotating elements. The steam from the inlet 18 enters the spacer by the port 9 and finally escapes to the exhaust passage 23 by the same port. The speed of the engine may be controlled by opening the admission cocl or valve more or less. drain cock 6G- may be provided at the bottom of the exhaust chamber for carrying off any water that may collect at this place. Figs. 4 to 7 show the working parts of such an engine in four different sequential positions. ln Fig. 4 the port 9 in the spacer is admitting steam to the space A while the spacer B is exhausting. The steam in the space C exerts expansive turning efiort on the cycloidal end Y of the piston which end is gradually working into the space B. The narrow space between the piston end X and the spacer gradually enlarges thereby causing the piston to advance the spacer following through the action of the piston at a speed ratio of 3 to 2 until, as in Fig. 5, the spacer reaches a point indicated by the line D from the starting position indicated by the line G Fig. 4 and the piston has then advanced to the point indicated by the line E. When the following edge of port 9 passes the leading edge ol' the parallel 15 the expansion begins. The cx haust at the same time continues from space B, and the expansive turning effort in C acts on the end Y of the piston which end is gradually working into the space B. The steam which fills the narrow space A in Fig. 5 constitutes a charge, which then is expanded until the position shown in Fig. 6 is reached where the exhaust begins from the space A, the leading edge of port 9 being on the point of passing the exhaust parallel 14, the steam having exerted a turning effort on the piston end X during its travel through 27 0O as indicated by line F and the spacer through 180 asindicated by the line G. The exhaust now continues until as shown in Fig. 7 the following edge of the port 9 reaches the leading edge of the parallel 12, as indicated by the line H while the end Y of the piston has reached the position indicated by the line l. The spacer will next assume the position shown in lfig. 4 but the end Y of the piston in Fig. 7 will then be in the position X in lig. 4 because the piston has made lllrevolutions while the spacer has made one revolution. lt will thus be-seen that there is a continuous turning effort maintained throughout the entire revolution of the piston and that during that revolution and before the charge A admitted to the X end of the piston has been fully expanded and begins to exhaust a similar charge has been admitted to the Y end of the piston. ln this example, lligs. 3 to 7 the steam is expanded about nine times.

Vifliat l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. A rotary fluid machine comprising a casing having a non-cylindrical interior and provided with fluid inlet and outlet passages, a cylindrical `spacer provided with ports and rotatable in the casing, a piston rotatable in the spacer in the same direction thereof', abutments between the piston and spacer, and an abutment between the spacer and the casing on each side of the inlet passage, said abutments located in recesses formed in the casing and provided with means for accurate adjustment from without.

2. A rotary fluid machine, comprising a casing having a non-cylindrical interior to form an exhaust space and provided with fluid inlet and outlet passages, a cylindrical spacer provided with ports and rotatable in the casing, a piston rotatable in the spacer in the same direction thereof but at a different speed, abutments between the piston and spacer, and an abutment between the spacer and easing on each side of the inlet passage, said abutments located in recesses formed in the casing and provided with means for accurate adjustment from without.

. 3. 1n a rotary luid machine of the character described, a spacer formed cylindrical outside, a casing provided with a non-cylindrical interior exhaust space, an actuating fluid inlet passage and adjustable spacer abutments on each side of the latter, said abutments located in recesses formed in the casing and provided with means for accurate adjustment from without, an exhaust passage, and a small passage for admitting actuating fluid for starting the machine with full power and from any position of the rotating elements.

4. In a rotary fluid machine of the character described, a spacer formed cylindrical outside, a casing provided with two noncylindrical interior exhaust spaces and two exhaust passages, two actuating fluid inlet passages each between alateralrand an u per and. alower adjustable-abutment said `a utmentslocated` in recesses fformed in thev casing, :means-for admitting actuatingfluid to onefor other of-saidl inlet passages, a Vvalve chestin vthe casing,\a slide valve adapted fto slide in lthesaidvalve chest, andtwo small passages,one from one-actuating fluid` inlet passage to oneend ofthe-valve chest and the other from the other inlet-passage -to the other end of the'valve clhest-for-starting'the machine to rotate in one direction or -the other.

'5. In a rotary fluid-engine, a casing, a spacer .rotatable therein, a piston .rotatable inthe spacer,-abutments in recesses formed in the casing,` a valve chest,aslide valve therein,.a bottornpplatefor-the valve chestrovided with a recess, -an abutment-in sai( -recess, andmeans for adjusting the contact between the abutments and the spacer.

In a rotary vfluid engine; a casing, a spacer rotatable therein, afpiston rotatable in the spacer, abutments in vrecesses Yformed in the casing, studs secured in each abutment, a coil spring on each stud, a spring box secured ove-r the spring, screw threads on the outer end of the stud, aJnut-thereonlforregulating'thetension of the spring-'andthus adjusting the/*contact between-the abutment and the spacer, andshallow, round -serrations-on-the top of the spring andthelbottom of the nut, said serrationsbearinga cer tainr-elationto thepitch offthe screw thread on thestud so 4 that the amounti of 4adjusting elastic 4pressure answering to each partial turn of fthe nut is known, Awhilet-he serrations-alsof lock= the parts together sufliciently to prevent their coming-apart.

7.- In a rotary fl.uidengine, a-.casing, a spacer rotatable therein, a piston rotatable in thespacer, ltriangul-arlyf disposed recesses in theend surfaces -of thelatter, packing stripsin the recesses, reeesses'in the interior circumferential surface of f the l spacer,y shoes having splinesin. said recesses, said shoes being adapted to work against the piston and arranged so as to preventleakage at the places-wherethe packing strips adjoin.

8.,'In a rotary fluid'engine, a casing, a

oifi-,ear

spacer rotatable therein, .a .piston 'rotatable in Vthe spacer, ytriangularly. disposed recesses in the fend surfaces of the latter, vpacking strips in the recesses, minute passages `for admittingv actuating Huid to wthe .back ofy the strips, recesses in theinterior circumferential surface of the spacer, shoes having splines, springs in recesses of said splines, the shoes being adapted towork-againstthe piston and arranged kso as to prevent leakage .at the placeswhere-the packing strips adj 0in.

9. In a rotary fluid engine,` a casing, a spacer rotatable therein, a piston rotatable in thespacer, thin rings'betweenthe ends of the spacer and theiendslof-the'casin ,-said rings formedeach with a fine pinlho e and free to rotate againstrsaid ends, Y against one anotherand against the casing,-for the purposeofpreventing leakage and undue Jfriction betweenthe spacerand the casing,

l0. `In a rotaryfluidengine, a casingVa spacer rotatable therein, a piston rotatable inthespacer, thin rings on the outside ofthe ends of thespacer, said rings formed each with a finelpin hole, `an antifrictionroller device around the-boss of the spacer andplaced in the inside of the end of the casing, aring havingrecesses, springs-in the recesses betweenthe thin rings and the roller device, the springs exerting elastic pressure against the spaceraendandthe thin rings, and the latter free to rotate against the spacer end, against one another and against the ring with springs in its 1 recesses.

1l. In a -rotary:uid-engine, acasing, a spacer rotatable therein, a Vpiston rotatable inthe spacer, a rollerdevice around -a-boss on the-,spacer andplaced in each end rofthe casing, ,ashafta roller-bearing therefor in each endofthe casing, and apringrecessed andxedin each end ofthefcasingfor the purpose o'fifkeeping the roller device and roller bearing lin place.

In testimony whereof l'llhavevhereunto set myV hand inpresence of two subscribing witnesses this 25 day of JunelQO?.

JOHN STUART ALCORN. l/Vitnesses EH. D.- JAMESON, T H. RAND. 

